The holy Bible states that "Love covers a multitude of sins." This is a universal principle that can be applied to all people and all generations.

Have you ever experienced this phenomenon? Have you ever had the delight of experiencing kindness instead of anger; mercy instead of sheer justice; compassion rather than cold-hearted rudeness?

Have you ever personally witnessed someone blessing you with a smile and patience after you embarrassed them? Ever tasted the smooth joy of someone calling you on the phone as though nothing ever happened when you know good and well that you deserved their wrath?

These are a few examples of love covering a multitude of sins.

Consider this story. A man in Los Angeles lived in the midst of foul mouthed, selfish, hateful, war-mongering youth gangs. They spray painted graffiti on his new car. They urinated on both his car and the side of his home and anytime they saw him they looked at him like he was the complete cause for all their unhappiness in life. He on the other hand looked at them with compassion and pity, as children who seldom experience love, with little to no hope, and with no clue of God's forgiveness in Christ. His compassion mobilized the members of his body (hands, fingers, feet…) to active duty if you will. He would come out fighting with love because love covers a multitude of sins.

For a number of weeks his wheels would turn, his mind would race at night, and his questions of how to touch these young 'hoodlums' lives continued unanswered.

One day he noticed these gangsters eating pizza. In fact, he realized that he had seen them eat pizza on the hoods of other peoples' cars on numerous occasions. He had never made pizza in his life, but he decided right then and there that he would cover up sin by making pizza. He went to a couple of local pizza places and he watched with a keen and passionate eye with hopes of making a difference. His soul, buoyed up by the love of God, was at peace despite continually being harrassed on by his ungrateful neighbors. He bought himself a pizza oven and ordered personal pan pizza boxes with the words 'Agape Pizza' on it.

That first Saturday afternoon he figured he would make about six pizzas and put a sign out in his front yard that said, "Free fresh pizza while they last!" He put a small box, big enough to hold six pizza boxes, with a small door on it to keep the pizza hot, and literally screwed the box on the trunk of his old car. Within a half hour he watched a young kid open the box and take a pizza out.

Ten minutes later four others came and he was busy making pizza again. For ten years he made pizzas every weekend--hundreds of them. Though problems still existed (broken car windows because neighbors' wanted pizza and there was none), yet his reticent determination led numerous neighbors to ask him what the word 'Agape' was in 'Agape Pizza'. Many more folks over the years simply asked him why he did it. His answer was simply "Because I'm free to love."

Having experienced God's love in Christ frees us to show compassion and unconditional love despite any negative costs associated with those decisions.

God bless you as you show compassion to the world around you. God bless you as you cherish the forgiveness of your sin because Christ's blood covers a multitude of sins.